Drumroll please … (09/09)
By Leanne Battle
My life has not been ruled by a school calendar in many years, but I still think of September as a beginning. It is the perfect time to introduce something new. And things that arrive in September have good staying power!
September 1776: The United Colonies are renamed The United States.
September 1846: Elias Howe patents the sewing machine.
September 1927: "The Harlem Globetrotters" are organized.
September 1969: The Beatles release Abbey Road.
September 1982: "Cheers" premieres on television and runs for 11 seasons.
What new service can you provide to your organization this year? I can hear the sighs from here. “A new service?!?” you’re thinking. “But I hardly have enough staff or budget to deliver the services to which we are already committed!” All right, let’s think this through.
First, review the services your library is currently providing. Are there any services that you continue even though the original requestor no longer has the same needs? If so, it might be time to make an adjustment. Can every service you provide be mapped to one of the goals or objectives of the library or of the larger organization? If you are providing a service that does not support your goals and objectives, there is a disconnect you need to resolve.
Second, ask around. You want to be sure that you are putting your resources into things that people really want. So ask them. What information your patrons need is missing? Is there some information that is in the wrong format to be useful? Would your patrons like to be able to use the physical library differently? You will probably need to use a survey tool to reach all of your patrons, but take advantage of the opportunities you have to speak to people in person. A quick elevator conversation can be very revealing.
Next, leverage the creativity in your library and the broader library community. Who knows better than we do what information is available and how it can be analyzed and presented to be the most useful? Check out AALL Spectrum, Ning.com, law library blogs and tweets, local association listservs, SLA’s Information Outlook and, of course, LexisNexis InfoPro. Set up an alert on lexis.com® to track trends in law library service. (Hint: remember to use the LexisNexis SmartIndexing Technology™ term TRENDS when you set up your search).
So let’s start with a few ideas:
- You are probably already collecting news articles about your firm or of interest to your faculty. Now you have an opportunity to add value by providing an executive summary in addition to the articles themselves. You could create an internal blog of your summaries for easy access.
- Start a new service to benefit the library. Create a list of local or online, low-cost or free professional development and training opportunities. National association and local chapter Web sites are terrific resources for these. Check out marketing, IT and competitive intelligence organizations sites as well. Have everyone on the library staff sign up to check a site and report back so that everyone benefits.
- Do something just for fun! The office can be a stressful place. In a few of the offices I visit, I have noticed small "rec reading" collections. If this is not something you are already providing, give it a go! Set aside a small, easily accessible section of shelving and fill it with books donated by people in the office. Let people bring, take, swap books at their leisure. A service like this may seem frivolous, but never underestimate the power of good will.
See, when you think it through, it’s not so overwhelming. This is a time to set yourself and the service you provide apart. Who knows, you may just end up creating the "Harlem Globetrotters" of the law library world!
